


A Bulletproof Vision

by Umachica



Series: Wynonna Earp Scene Analysis Series [5]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Scene Analysis, Scene Breakdown, Screencaps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21713953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umachica/pseuds/Umachica
Summary: An in-depth analysis of a series of Wayhaught scenes starting at the Wainwright Hotel party to the traumatic occurrence at the Sheriff’s Department. Katherine Barrell and Dominique Provost-Chalkley bring this to life in ways we never thought any actor could. The micro-expressions, the small gestures and hesitation are all on point with what a genuine pair of lovers would look like when facing trauma and the outing of their relationship. A phenomenal performance that helps us all connect with the characters that they are.Screenshot essay written & captured by @UmachicaImage editing & story formatting by @JaymieSarner
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Series: Wynonna Earp Scene Analysis Series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1514936
Comments: 23
Kudos: 61





	1. Belles of the Ball

Brace yourselves, this is a lengthy one! It has 228 images, over 11K words and is about a 45-minute read. It rolls six scenes onto one between Episodes 112 & 113\. A labour of love this has been. For the sake of sanity, we have sliced this up into four chapters. We don’t want to overload mobile readers with image rendering. 

Grab some snacks (perhaps a Beaver Buzz and some Twizzlers), sit back and enjoy!

**Chapter One**

The lovely Wainwright Hotel. 

The sun has just set in the background leaving a faint evening glow. Since we are most likely the middle of winter, it's early evening. Though let’s be honest...it’s always winter in Purgatory. 

We open with Waverly descending the Wainwright’s stairs at Bobo's party in a gorgeous turquoise/robin's egg blue & eggshell dress. She's scanning the faces of everyone attending. It's probably safe to assume Waverly has done a once over for Nicole already and hadn't spotted her. We know from a later comment she’s already counted the vents.

( _Record Scratch_ : It took me like...ten watches to realize this dress wasn't actually freaking transparent. -Umachica)

But now Waverly sees the red-head and her face lights up! She gives a small shake of her head because Nicole is too pretty to stand, and Waverly can't believe she got this damn lucky.

Funnily enough, that's exactly what Nicole thinks when she spots Waverly. Look at the adoration on that face! This is probably the closest we ever see Nicole to squealing internally. Ominously, she's holding a cup of the dreaded champagne! Let's uh..ignore that for now.

Look at her all flustered! Puppy Nicole.

Nicole remembers she's charming though and sends Waverly her best charming smile.

( _Record Scratch_ : Backroom convo alert…

Jaymie: I'm still convinced she wouldn't have dressed like this unless it had been made a requirement by the Sheriff’s Office or the Town Council on top of the black-tie attire Bobo called for. After all...Nedley looks insanely well dressed too. Otherwise...I think she would have pant-suited it like in 301. 

Umachica: I agree, Jaymie. Kat agrees too! She has mentioned the dress really didn't feel like Nicole. She said she's become comfortable enough in her role now that she's told the crew she doesn’t think Nicole should be in dresses anymore. Which is awesome! And since Nicole is now Sheriff, yeah, she’d tell them to stick it.

Anyway! Moving on…)

Waverly's internal squee face! 

**You are a vision.**

Waverly blushes and looks away at this because gosh can her girlfriend be any more enchanting and Waverly gets easily flustered at compliments like that. Nicole’s popping dimple is definitely not helping in the mix.

**Oh please. I didn't even have time to accessorize.**

Important to note, while she is flustered, Waverly is also trying to remember to look around the party. She's still scanning for whatever Bobo is up to. 

  
Nicole: I'll be accessory to your little death, later tonight.

Fortunately, Nicole, the Girl Scout Minded, is prepared and brought a gift!

**  
Ah, see, I knew I wore this bracelet for a reason.**

  
Note the wink. This is an actual gift. Not an "oh sure, borrow my bracelet." 

Waverly gives off a small chuckle as Nicole hands the small item over.

**  
Here…  
  
**

Nicole’s smile says it all. She’s falling hard for this girl and is relishing in the fact that she can give Waverly things. It’s just a bracelet, but it means so much more than that.   
  


**Thanks.  
  
**

We don’t actually see Waverly’s expression as Nicole passes the item over. Still, the movement of Waverly’s head suggests she’s a bit flustered and very touched.

Waverly’s eyes travel south as she starts to speak. For three seconds, she goes all the wayyyyyy down on Nicole. She can’t believe this beautiful woman is in front of her is looking at her the same way and is giving her gifts.

**Hey, if we get out of here, we are getting dressed up** **_WAY_ ** **more often.  
  
**

Oops! Waverly, let the situation slip. It seems like she just gets so relaxed in Nicole's presence and feels so connected to her that she kind of...presumes Nicole already knows what's going on. This, as we know, is an ongoing issue for them.

**What do you mean, “** **_IF_ ** **we get outta here?”**

  
Nicole catches the slip and looks confused, but at the same time, she’s enchanted by Waverly.

Nicole’s change of expression at the end of her sentence says something else. She's trying to turn it into hot flirting. There are many looks Nicole Haught can give that instantly melt hearts for 250 miles around...this is just one of them.

  
Nicole: We could get out of here right now...?   
  


Yes...they would have left instantly if Waverly didn't have a job to do.

Waverly misses it, sadly, because she just realized she let the pussy out of the bag. 

(Yes...that was a joke) 

**Um…  
  
**

Waverly tries to think quickly. 

Waverly: Tell her? Don't tell her? She deserves to know. She needs to know. How much should I tell her? She could be in danger if I don’t! Or worse if I do…

This journey happens in a split second all over Waverly’s face. Her lips work a little as she decides what to say. The problem is, one cannot think straight with a beautiful Haught lady standing so close. Puns (plural) intended.

**Just stay by the exits, okay?**

This is what it looks like when a chill runs up Nicole's spine. Shit, there's trouble. She knows it's Earp-related trouble, which means it's big.  
  


It adds fuel to the "this place is weird" fire. Nicole already is aware of strange happenings in the town, and a lot of them seem to revolve around the Earp sister.   
  


One of these occurrences had already hospitalized her once. She can put two and two together and get four. 

Then, Nicole spots someone she'd really _REALLY_ rather not see on the stairs.   
  


**Willa.  
  
**

Nicole’s voice is a dark murmur.  
  


Yeah. Nicole is still quite sore over the last time she and the elder Earp came face to face.

Willa's smile is overly sweet. Like...painful, almost sour sort of sweet. Like when you dump ten Sour Peaches into your mouth at once, sweet.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Dang, Natalie can play a bitch! Credit to her skill.)   
  


Willa gives a sweet sister smile and beckoning hand wave to Waverly like they're best buds, and she's excited to see her. ...Bitch. 

Waverly shakes her head just a fraction as if to warn Willa not to start anything here. Nicole keeps a wary eye. Willa being present in the room signals that Nicole and Waverly will continue to hide their relationship in public.

Nicole glances at Waverly in a quick check-in as if to say, "are you ok?"

Waverly gives a quick nod and a smile to reassure Nicole that Willa's not the problem. At least not yet.  
  


She spares one last glance towards Nicole to keep the image of the vision she sees fresh in her mind before she has to go underwater to deal with dear sister.

Waverly's exit from the scene is the perfect moment for the camera to catch the lurking jerk in the background and shift focus to him.   
  


Oh look, he's chugging his champagne!

Champ Hardy is not even actually dressed up. He has a jacket, but his shirt is just one of those novelty shirts that looks like a tux. He's already been hitting the bubbly a bit hard. The rodeo clown watches Waverly leave. She's too preoccupied to notice her ex-boyfriend making a move towards her girlfriend.

Definitely hammered…  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : I applaud your performance, Mr. Dylan Koroll. Like Natalie Krill, you do _SUCH_ a great job at portraying your character’s mean streaks. -Jaymie  
  


Anybody remember in old cartoons when there would be a dude all ready for some fisticuffs and they would look like this? Lemme see if I can find an example...

  
There we go! -Umachica)

Nicole watches Waverly go.

Then catches sight of Champ.

The eye-roll Nicole fires off is on the level of epic. There is no way a sober Champ would have missed it. Drunk Champ, though…?  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : There is literally _NO WAY_ to screencap this eyeroll attractively in a still image.)   
  
Nicole: Oh, great. Here we go.

Nicole: I'm gonna need something stronger than champagne if this is how my evening is going to go.

Nicole: I was _REALLY_ hoping to avoid this conflict.

Champ, the trapper. He puts his hand on the door that Nicole is leaning on and gets way up in her face. His breath stinks of booze and peaches, and it makes this whole scenario even less pleasant. If it weren’t a party inside a private establishment, Nicole would likely be putting Champ in the drunk tank instead of dealing with...this.

Nicole's dealt with his type before. She lifts her chin, locks her jaw, unfocuses her eyes, and does her best to tune him out. Interestingly, this is her defence. Lock down and go blank.Not a challenging stare back at him. She could've met Champ chin down and aggressively glaring into his eyes. Nicole has learned to withstand treatment like this. She's been bullied before, quite likely, for this reason. This is her waiting out the hurtful words. This is Haught walling herself off.   
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Kat has been vocal about bullying in the past and has openly spoken about being a victim. She may very well be pulling on prior experience to perform her series of amazing facial expressions and reactions to Dylan’s character. Please, if you ever see someone getting bullied, don’t stand aside and watch. Make sure the person knows that someone out there cares, no matter if you know them personally or not. Experience from being bullied talking here. -Jaymie)

**I saw** **_ALL_ ** **that, you know?  
  
**

Nicole's lip tugs in a smirk.  
  


Nicole: Yup. Here we go. Been here before.

**Not now, Champ.  
  
**

Nicole’s face has a curious expression. She's fighting between her urge to get into this. She knows she can have a bit of a temper, but she’s drawing on her cop training and her own personal life knowledge to de-escalate the situation. Seriously, this is not the place for this bullshit. In front of the whole town at a black-tie event. Especially when her girlfriend just told her something big might happen.

Still, this is really pissing her off. Behold, Nicole "Give Me A Reason" Haught™

**So you two are, like, together now, eh?  
  
**

( _Record Scratch_ : Let’s play a quick round of “Spot the Canada!” Oh, look! A real, live, Canadian "eh?!") 

**That's disgusting.** **_DISGUSTING_ ** **!  
  
**

Dear audience, how many of you cringed, then groaned at Champ’s behaviour here? Better yet, who remembers having to deal with that one person who was _EXACTLY_ like this?  
  


Nicole shuts her eyes. She’s internally seething.   
  


Nicole: Remember your training, Haught. Both personal and cop.

Then we get the look of steel.   
  


Nicole: You're better than him, Nicole. You're better than this. Don't do it. Don't bite.

Nicole: Annnd, what did Waves see in this guy?  
  


***  
  


Skipping a few scenes ahead now. In those scenes, we attempt to figure out what Bobo is up to and the way Willa is really nonchalant about this whole thing except specifically when mentioning Peacemaker.  
  


Through-out all those scenes, it's incredible to follow the champagne glasses. How many times characters pick them up and then set them down again. It's an impressive display of prop wrangling. By sheer stupid chance never once do certain characters actually drink them.

Especially Nicole, who is currently dealing with Champ and has had a full glass in her hand the entire time. She endures at least six minutes of torture with the boy-man and never once takes a sip.  
  


Either more has been said since we cut away, or Champ has been silently trapping Nicole against the doorframe in attempts to intimidate.

Champ's been on bubbly all night, and we see him set his now empty glass down. Nicole is still holding hers. She's trying to leave this unpleasant conversation with as much grace, poise, and rationality as she can muster.   
  


Meanwhile, Champ trails behind her, half accusatory, half whining like he's not sure whether he wants her to apologize or, weirdly, show him sympathy. 

**You know assoonaswe break-up, you just swoopin and steal muhgirl?  
  
**

Champ’s sentence is heavily slurred.   
  


Oh Champ, Nicole was stealing Waverly's heart way before that. Or more accurately, Waverly had slowly begun to give her heart to someone that saw her as more than just a small-town waitress and cared for her over themselves.

**OK, lower your voice. Waverly doesn't** **_belong_ ** **to anyone.  
  
**

Nicole: I'm gonna hit him. I’m gonna hit him…  
  


Champ: buhrhuhhurhurhur SO SAD. I mean MAD. SMAD! Tremble before my manly rage or give me a hug! ;_;

Waverly: Whaaat is happening here... 

She looks back to double-check that no one is really paying attention to the unfolding drama. Or because Nedley is coming down the stairs not too far behind her.

Right here, Champ snatches Nicole's glass of champagne and starts drinking again, inadvertently saving Nicole's ass.

We _WOULD_ have owed him one (just a little), but that's cancelled out by his next ramble.   
  


**Oh, yeah. Blah blah blah feminism blah.**

Nicole’s face saying precisely what we all were thinking or, more likely, speaking to our TVs.  
  


Nicole: Dick…  
  


Nicole: Little shit stole my drink too?   
  


She hikes up the front of her dress and rewards Champ with another earth rattling eye roll because, oh no! He did _NOT_ just shit on feminism as a whole on top of everything else.   
  


Nicole is about to follow him up the stairs. She was just trying to get away from him, but now she's about to go after him because Haught has _WORDS_ , my friends.

Fortunately, Waverly is ahead of them on the stairs, likely preventing some kind of shouting match or brawl.  
  


It's pretty clear that while Waverly isn't owned by or belongs to Nicole...she willingly gives herself. Nicole’s gift shines proudly on her wrist. And that makes all the difference.

**Champ! You're drunk. And apparently a raging homophobe!  
  
** She’s is pissed.  
  
This is interesting because Waverly also gets really pissed at Nicole when _she_ gets drunk. The youngest Earp accepts Wynonna's alcoholic tendencies, but she does _NOT_ like it in anyone else. Waverly doesn't care if someone is tipsy. It's full-on drunkenness she dislikes. Sloshed and out of control of one's self. This is really not surprising, considering her childhood with Ward Earp as a father figure.  
  


In a slightly adorable way, Waverly looks like she's halfway into scolding mom mode. She looks at Champ like she expects him to explain himself right now, Mr. Boy-man. Again, it's the same attitude she will later adopt with drunk Nicole.

**Oyou think thishis cuz she'sa girl?  
  
**

Nicole: Target Locked. 

Waverly gives a panicked look at Nicole over Champ's shoulder while she nervously plays with the banister.

**OK, Champ. I think you’ve had enough.  
  
**

Sheriff Nedley (looking so dapper that now we can be pretty sure there was an extra dress code for Purgatory Civil Servants) steps in.   
  


Waverly doesn't like this at all. It's Nicole's boss!   
  


Waverly: Shit!   
  


Chrissy looks not surprised in the least to see Champ behaving this way. Still, she does look a little curious about the situation before her. 

**Of course you're gonna take her side. You know…  
  
**

Champ looks at Nicole as if she'd be interested to hear this.   
  


**Every time I failed that preliminary law enforcement exam…  
  
**

Nicole: Oh, _OF COURSE_ , this is about your past failures. 

**She would say, “It’s OK, Champ. You have nothing to prove.” But apparently that was a lie.**

**She’s dating a cop.  
  
**

Wayhaught, internally, in union: Fuck…

There it is. The couple has been outed. Nicole looks up at her boss.Then to Waverly, as she gasps slightly.  
  


Nicole: Shit! Shit! Shit! How's he gonna react? He's a small-town cop.  
  


Nicole hasn't had this job very long, and she likes being here. The Sheriff has probably already suspected Nicole’s sexuality,

**She doesn’t really like men.**

**Well...who does?  
  
**

but that doesn’t stop her from being suddenly terrified.

A lot is happening behind the Sheriff’s eyes. Nedley is mulling over the news and choosing his reaction. He doesn't disapprove, but he can tell that this is a moment Nicole didn't want. He knows his response will matter.  
  


Nedley is kind of a pseudo father figure for Nicole. That would also make his reaction all the more important to her.   
  


This moment may explain why Nicole never wears a dress again. She no longer has to pretend to live to an expectation. While she would never ask Waverly to be someone she is not, it’s clear that Nicole would go to great lengths to help her ‘hide,’ so to speak until Waverly was ready to come out.  
  


Also, what an awkward "Hi Dad. I brought a girl home. Do you like her?" moment.

Nedley: The youngest Earp, huh?  
  


Waverly’s sexuality, on the other hand...seems to have caught him completely off guard. Nedley has known the girl for her whole life and hoped that one day she would finally spread her wings and shed her shell. Perhaps not quite like this.  
  


Champ: Pointsh to me!  
  


Attractive, Champ...

**Well, I guess that would be their own private business.  
  
**

A diplomatic answer overall, which accomplishes several things;

  1. It acknowledges that Nicole and Waverly being a couple is not the point of this conversation and refocuses the discussion.
  2. It lets Nicole know the Sheriff has her back, and;
  3. In a way, it sort of approves the match up (or at least acknowledges that he doesn't think it's his place to step in regarding 'Nicole's Pick,' so to speak.)   
  




Waverly appears to let out a breath she’s been holding.

**Come on, son, let's get you out of here.  
  
**

Waverly looks up at Nedley with a relieved expression.   
  


Waverly: Thank God...

Champ, having just had one more sip of champagne, suddenly looks very sick. When he opens his mouth to shout, we see he's started foaming like a rabid albino squirrel.   
  


**No!  
  
**

His hand flexes with such strength that it breaks the glass.   
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Sugar glass is always impressive that way. Along with blood packets.)  
  


We hear someone shriek. Likely Waverly, as it sounds similar to her shriek later. 

Nicole: Waverly...was this what you warned me about? 

Nicole: Holy shit! That drink was in my hand thirty seconds ago!

**Champ, are you on something** **_OTHER_ ** **than bubbly?  
  
**

Great thing to ask in front of not one, but _TWO_ cops.  
  


Remember kids, if you see a stray Champ that looks like this, do not approach. It's very dangerous, okay? Just call animal control and let them sort it out.

He surges forward at Waverly.  
  


**Ho! Ho, ho, ho, ho!  
  
**

Nedley steps in, blocking the path, instantly proving why he is Santa, and Nicole is Legolas for life.

So Champ turns to go the other way...

Hi-yah!

OOF! Clotheslined!   
  


Everyone in the room is now staring up at the stairs.

Waverly: Holy...holy water!

Officer Haught came ready for this very possible situation. Her hands go darting into her clutch for the cuffs.

According to Waverly, in episode 102, Champ's hogtie record is just under eight seconds.  
  


Nicole has wrangled the cowboy into submission in just under five.

Nicole: Check it, Waves. I carry cuffs at all times and know how to use 'em.

Her lips actually upturn in a little smile. Waverly’s expression telling her just how cool she looked.  
  


More accurately, how Haught.

Waverly’s face wears an expression similar to that of a shorter-haired Nicole in a not so distant future.  
  


Waverly: Oh… Yeah… Yeah, you do… Wow!

Waverly gulps down what is clearly a shot of lust through her veins.  
  


Waverly: God, you’re Haught 

***  
End Chapter One


	2. Suds and Secret Agents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobo springs the bubbly booby trap! Waverly finds Nicole's bravery sexy, and Haught gets her 5 minutes of inclusion in the paranormal squad,

The next time we see Waverly, she is back upstairs with her oversized clutch in her hand.

While she is blurry, we can see that she is looking at Wynonna.

(Record Scratch: Look at the left of the screen. Who let Mr Banks (a la Mary Poppins) into the party? -Umachica)  


Someone has caught Waverly’s attention.

A black…sorry… _MIDNIGHT BLUE_ dress catches our eyes, and we realize that Waverly is speaking to Willa.

Meanwhile, the man of the hour arrived. Nicole and Nedley tend to a very inebriated and sick Champ at the top of the stairs.

Champs’ nose is bleeding thanks to Officer Haught. Even still, she pushes Bobo away because while Champ might be a jerk, he is still in her custody. That means Champ is now Nicole’s responsibility, and she will do her duty to keep him safe.  
  


Of course, this is when Bobo explains what he has done to Champ and all the other unfortunate guests.

Even though Champ has been a dick, Nicole is still showing care and compassion for the rodeo clown that is definitely not doing well.

As Bobo puts out his ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive’ on Wynonna, Nicole’s face says it all.  
  


Nicole: Why is it always something to do with the Earps?  
  


***

All hell has broken loose, and the people are closing in on Wynonna. Wynonna tells Waverly to get Willa out of here. Waverly agrees. She grabs Willa, but she looks for Nicole too.

There! Waverly makes a beeline.

**Uh, Nicole, come with us.  
  
**

Nicole run? Nope. She has a job to do. And even though the red-head doesn’t know what it is, she knows Waverly has a job she has to get done too.

Willa sees an opportunity to slip away as Nicole responds.  
  


**Champ's right Waves. You're dating a cop now. We go where the danger is.**

Waverly is gobsmacked. Her eyes shine somewhere between stress tears and desire as she huffs out her reply.  
  


**God, that's sexy.  
  
**

Nicole can't help but laugh at it even with the danger surrounding them. Waverly is clenching her jaw to hold back from leaping at the woman in front of her.  
  


It’s the second time in the evening that we see Waverly reigning in desire.

**Look, Nedley’s calling in backup. We’re gonna contain this, ok?  
  
**

Nicole’s voice is smooth, measured and calm. Waverly nods with a tiny smile.  
  


**Ok.  
  
**

The response is nearly a whisper. Waverly trusts Nicole completely, but this still doesn’t stop her from being worried.

Nicole beats Waverly to the question they both have in their minds.  
  


**You didn’t drink the champagne, did you?  
  
**

**No. You?  
  
**

**No.  
  
**

The couple takes a moment to stare at each other. They are checking for signs of poison, but more importantly, they are breathing in the presence of the other. Neither of them know how this is going to turn out.  
  


It’s no mistake that the camera pans closer as their eyes fall to each other’s lips.

Relief and adrenaline are powerful aphrodisiacs. It’s the first time that Nicole and Waverly have been blatantly out in the open, but they could really care less right now.  
  


To say their lips crash together still doesn’t do this kiss justice. It’s hot and forceful and not nearly as long as either of them want it to be. It’s a “good luck” kiss, a “god damn she’s sexy” kiss, and above all, it’s an “in case I never see you again” kiss.  
  


Nicole grabs Waverly’s arm just like she did when Waverly first kissed her. She knows they have to get to work, but Nicole can’t push Waverly away. Just like in her boss's office, nothing in her wants this moment to end.

Instead of pushing Waverly away, Nicole pulls herself. She’s trying to be the best cop that she can be, but even so, Waverly’s lips chase hers.  
  


**Ok, go.  
  
**

Nicole’s voice is husky. It’s clear her body wants more of Waverly, but she puts on the Officer Haught Stetson, and she wrangles her desire for the greater good.  
  


This could very well be the moment where Waverly realizes the depths of her feelings for Nicole. Being torn away from that one person that makes you feel special during times of struggle can make you realize a lot of things.

  
  


They turn back to their tasks and Waverly discovers she’s lost Willa.  
  


**Shit. Willa? Willa!  
  
**

She’s a pain in the ass, but Waverly can’t lose her sister again.

Nicole watches as Waverly lets go of her hand and runs off.  
  


Nicole: Alright, Haught. Time to get to work.  


***

Nicole wastes zero time getting to the station. She knows she has to get out of her dress and into her uniform so she can perform her tasks properly without restriction.  
  


We never really find out why Nicole barrelled into the BBD offices without knocking, having previously been warned of being charged with treason, (I think it was just an effort to find assistance, personally -Umachica) but here she is with a proclamation.  
  


**The whole town has gone 5150!  
  
**

( _Record Scratch_ : Ah yes, the 5150 line. A lot of people speculate Nicole had training in California due to this comment. 5150 refers to the California law code for the temporary, involuntary psychiatric commitment of individuals who present a danger to themselves or others due to signs of mental illness. It is more generally applied to people who are considered threateningly unstable or “crazy.” Considering how the Purgatory population was acting at this exact moment…yeah, Nicole used the right code.)

It’s here where Nicole sees the interior of Dolls’ gun safe for the first time. It looks sexy!  
  


**Whatever you have planned, I’m game!  
  
  
**

Once again, Nicole is told that this whole operation is classified, and it’s not her business.  
  


Nicole: Goddammit! Why do people keep me out of this shit? I can handle this! I _KNOW_ something weird has been going on!

Doc, on the other hand, has had enough of Dolls’ bullshit. Nicole is a police officer, and this is her town. She can help. So after an eye roll to match Nicole’s epic one earlier, without considering Dolls in the slightest (and also aware of Nicole’s connection to Waverly), he gives the cop the rundown.  
  
  


**I am Doc Holliday. Yeees, that Doc Holliday.**

Nicole’s face here resembles #MindBlown as the cowboy spills the beans.  
  


Nicole: Oh…wow. That’s actually a lot of strange damn news but…

Her brain starts piecing together all the strange things that have happened. The weird appearance of a secret government task force in town to start. The attack on the Earp Homestead and her abduction by a guy that stank of spoiled fruit. Plus, several other strange occurrences that Nicole has written down in her personal logbook.  
  


Nicole: Holy shit! I’m not crazy!

**Finally! Thank you. It… actually, it makes perfect sense.  
  
**

Supernatural is weird, but there is a logic to it as well. Nicole accepts it since the holes in her mental footwork were far more bothersome to her than acknowledging the existence of hellspawn.

**Except for the last part…  
  
**

Realizing slightly late that Doc had insulted ‘Dear Leader’ of said secret government agency and she had pretty much agreed that he was “a dick.”  
  


Nicole: Dammit, Haught. You blew it.

Doc throws Nicole a shotgun and asks if she is in.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Please let Nicole actually use the shotgun in the back of her cruiser? Just once? Maybe twice?)

**Like Flynn!  
  
**

Nicole is thrilled for two reasons;

  1. Her inner child is going crazy with the idea of working with a super secret agency, how cool is that?
  2. Waverly can now be her supernatural sexy self because Nicole _KNOWS_ this is what her girlfriend wasn’t telling her.



She takes a breath, because...well...wow!  
  


Nicole: Holy shit! Keep yourself together, Haught.  
  
Then she turns to Dolls for her orders. They’re nothing too special, but Nicole knows that it’s vital the job gets done. She’s game.  
  


**And Agent Haught…**

The officer snaps to attention.  
  
 **Welcome, to the Black Badge Division.**

Her face splits into a grin, no longer able to conceal her excitement. We were wrong earlier, this is the face of Nicole squealing with glee inside.  
  
Nicole: Oh. My. God. I’m in. I’m _IN_! Best. Day. Ever!


	3. DIDNT Shoot The Sheriff (DID Shoot The Deputy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking down the stand off between Waverly and Willa Earp! Featuring the Nicole scene that gave us all a heart attack!

Meanwhile…night has turned to morning. 

Waverly is in trouble. Chloroformed by her kind and supportive childhood friend because Chrissy Nedley knows Wynonna will come to save her. How no one else has noticed Chrissy and Waverly is a bit of a mystery, but hiding your hostage in the Sheriff’s office is actually kind of brilliant.

The Nedley maiden is desperate for the antidote. It’s critical to note that Chrissy is not looking for it for just herself, but her father as well. She’s selfless and caring towards others, but it’s been a day. The poison is driving her crazy. Chrissy doesn’t want to hurt anyone, not even Wynonna, which explains why she gives nearly zero fight.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Man, look at those scratches across Chrissy’s face! Did she do that to herself or was it Waverly fighting back? Seriously, we miss Chrissy. #BringBackChrissyNedley. -Umachica)

When Willa tells Chrissy that she’s another Earp, it’s too much for her already overworked brain. Chrissy knows that the only ‘other Earp’ should be dead. She passes out cold on the floor.

Willa tends to Waverly while Wynonna looks after Chrissy.  
  


The duct tape is super wrinkled and not applied in an effective manner. It wouldn’t have even kept Waverly’s arms down.  
  


Poor Chrissy. She only ever appears in a time of crisis, and she really didn’t want to do this.

**You came…  
  
**

Waverly has had doubts about Willa lately.  
  


**Of course.  
  
**

Willa’s response sounds robotic.

**Is -ah! Is Chrissy ok?  
  
**

Waverly is concerned for her childhood friend, even though she drugged her and took her out of action... *stares at Season 3*

**Shake it off sis. We have to get back to the Wainwright.  
  
**

Waverly asks why, but she already knows. Peacemaker is missing, and she’s hoping, really hoping that she is wrong about all of this.  
  


Willa doesn’t respond with, “We have to stop Bobo” or “We need to save the townspeople.”  
  


**We have to find Peacemaker.  
  
**

Waverly now knows her suspicions were justified.

Wynonna hears them both go quiet. The middle Earp has never been good at picking up on subtle hints. Many months down the road, she will call Doc “King of the Dense.” Let’s just say that Wynonna was the Queen first.

Waverly’s gut reaction is to grab Peacemaker and hold it close. Unfortunately, this gives away her game. The grab for her oversized clutch tells Willa all she needs to know.

Waverly’s expression is steely and defiant.  
  


Waverly: I won’t let you have it. You’re not the heir, and you're definitely not the sister I remember. You aren’t Willa Earp.

The woman in front of Waverly begins to behave like a teenager rather than an individual nearing 30.  
  


Some of Willa’s behaviour is likely arrested development. Willa is acting like a teen because she was taken away at that age and hasn’t exactly had the chance to adjust while in her other environments. She also hasn’t exactly had outstanding role models. Some people freeze in maturity if this occurs.

Waverly jumps at the sudden violence of the grab. As Willa snatches it, she doesn’t hold on very well at all. Willa’s intimidation has been ingrained into Waverly over the years.  
  


Our personal dynamics with family members get pretty firmly imprinted into our brains. Reactions become automatic to an extent. Unless you are hyperaware, it's hard to override these. That’s one reason why no matter how tough, and big some people get, they will always cower before, say, a strict mother, a stern father, or in this case…a dominant sibling.

Waverly: Oh shit…

**You took it from me?  
  
**

From me. Not us.

**  
You?!  
  
**

Willa can't wrap her head around how the little sister that she’s always bossed around could defy her like this. She's made Waverly walk across barn beams, thrown her stuffed animals onto thin ice and held under her thumb. She should be handing over everything Willa wants.  
  


The false heir now knows she was too quick to judge. Too quick to scold and dismiss Bobo’s compliments about her siblings round near the Triangle’s edge.

Yoink!  
  


Waverly once again proves that she’s not the helpless little girl she once was and denies Willa Peacemaker again.  
  


**Wynonna!**

She hurls the bag under Nedley’s desk as Willa goes diving after it.

An excellent shot as the gun goes right where it needs too. Wynonna’s hand closes on it quickly.  
  


Three points!

Waverly looks back at Willa with an almost terrified expression. Her neck is tense. If she had denied Bobo Peacemaker, she’d probably look stronger, defiant or perhaps even a little pleased with herself. However, she is confronting Willa, and inner little Waverly is still just a touch scared of her domineering sister.

Willa is on the verge of a full-blown tantrum. How this tantrum will make its exit, Waverly isn’t sure yet, but it can’t be good.  
  


The woman is furious, but she’s smart. A straight up fight will just turn Wynonna on her. She needs an angle, an advantage. She knows she’s running out of time and options. But Willa is also now aware that her sisters have shown their cards. Exactly how smart they are and how unwilling they are to hurt innocents.

As Wynonna stands up, she can tell something is wrong. The older one looks fine, so…  
  


**You okay, baby girl?**

Waverly doesn’t respond. Half terrified, half waiting to see what Willa will do.

**Okay then…  
  
**

We all know this look and tone. It's that smug and catty 'I'm about to be a bitch' look that is quite common in high school. Nobody tells Willa no, least of all, Waverly. She’s a manipulator, so Willa does what she does best and plays an angle.  
  


While her cover is blown with Waverly, it isn’t with Wynonna. She attempts to shift the attention to discredit whatever Waverly tries to say.

She stands and backs up to let Waverly go like nothing is wrong.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Cameo of the Wayhaught couch. Why is Waverly’s jacket _ALWAYS_ in that exact spot?)

Waverly doesn’t trust this. She can already gather that Willa has some kind of a plan, so she starts to put distance between them as fast as she can.

She watches Willa as she leaves.   
  


Then shoots a tense look at Wynonna.

Wynonna watches the whole scene unfold. She’s not sure why things are tense, but she can tell that they are. Why did Waverly have Peacemaker? Wynonna knows she handed it to Willa. Why are they glaring at each other?  
  


Wynonna: What the hell is going on? 

Willa’s next comment is deadpan.   
  


**I think Waverly ingested the poison** .   
  


Talk about cold. And listen to that voice. Just like a little kid, tattle-telling. This is Willa's version of a tantrum. She's reverted entirely back to childhood antics. She's done this trick plenty of times before, and you can tell because it triggers an equally juvenile reaction from Waverly.

**Did not!  
  
**

Waverly just about squeaks this indignantly, again, that sister dynamic is coming through. Her comeback sounds like it comes right out of “How to Fight With Your Siblings for Dummies.”   
  


Wynonna is trying to piece things together still because she knows Waverly hasn't been acting like she's poisoned, so what gives? Her face says it all…  
  


Wynonna: What the fuck?

As Waverly explains that she suspects Willa of having changed during her time in the treehouse, Willa grows impatient. Wynonna is not falling for the trick as quickly as she'd like (even if the only reason is because Wynonna's sometimes slow on the uptake), and she's running out of options. She has to get Peacemaker and get Bobo over the line _NOW_. Look at the tension in her neck and jaw. You can almost see her eye twitch.

Willa rolls her eyes at Waverly’s explanation. She now knows that the attempt to discredit has failed. Time to pull her last trick out of her pocket.  
  


Literally.

**What I am…  
  
**

Waverly and Wynonna’s attention snaps suddenly to a Willa with crazy eyes and a revolver in her hand.  
  


**…is the goddamn Earp heir and I’m running out of goddamn time!**

**I don’t want anyone to get hurt.  
  
**

There is some degree of truth to this statement. Willa was close to Wynonna, which is one of the reasons Wynonna could so easily overlook how Willa treated Waverly. Wynonna, for her part, just presumed that since she was close with both sisters, that all three were okay with each other. In reality, Willa couldn’t care less about Waverly, or anyone else unfortunate enough to walk in on this. It’s only having Wynonna in the mix and holding onto Peacemaker that complicates things. 

**Nobody is going to get hurt on my watch.  
  
**

Willa begins to lay blame to Wynonna for all that has happened in their home life, to the townsfolk, but most importantly, herself.  
  


Waverly: So this is all about you? Blaming Wynonna for everything? I did that for a long time. It made nothing better. How dare you!

**When are you going to take responsibility** **_FOR ALL THAT YOU’VE DONE_ ** **?!  
  
**

This screencap it could easily be titled: "The Tragedy of Willa Earp."   
  


Willa’s face is one of pure agony. There's real pain there. It’s one of the few times we see honest emotion coming from Willa. That's a really raw wound and is part of what made her easy to manipulate when she was younger. Her life up to this point has been suffering. Hurt begets hurt. Abused by her drunken father, kidnapped and kept in a treehouse by Bobo, her memories erased by the Stone Witch and entrapment into a cult where any day she could have been killed by Lou.   
  


She blames Wynonna for all of it.

Wynonna looks so tired. She's putting the pieces together, and it's not looking pretty. She was so close to just having her sister back, and now Willa's gone bad?   
  


Wynonna: Are you freaking kidding me? Please...please let Waverly be a little paranoid right now...   
  


But Willa's pointing a gun at her head. Yeah. Waverly probably isn't off base.  
  


Wynonna starts asking questions.

Willa takes a gulp as Waverly’s cellphone begins to ring. She has the decency to look ashamed, either for her actions or for being called out on them, who knows?  
  


We'll never know, because that ringtone is-a-calling, followed shortly by...

**Hey, I knew I recognized that ringtone.  
  
**

The Earpdom takes a collective horrified gasp as a smiling Nicole Haught saunters into the room, looking all jaunty and in high spirits after being deputized by BBD. She slips her cellphone into her pocket with one hand, and her utility belt is dangling uselessly in the other. Look how cute! She was calling Waverly to tell her about being deputized! Or, you know, to check on her. Either way, it's adorable puppy, Nicole.  
  


At first, she's just focused on Waverly. She heard the cellphone go off down the hallway. So she followed the sound of the familiar ringtone…right into a trap.

Willa can’t believe her damn luck.  
  


Leverage.

**Whoa!  
  
**

Nicole has just gotten changed out of her dress. She hasn't even had time to put on her duty belt or put up her hair. Her hands go up as she freezes on the spot.   
  


Haught let her guard down. In her defence, how many police officers expect a hostage situation to occur within the four walls of their own precinct?   
  


Nicole: Good feelings gone.

Waverly lets out a short gasp of horror and begins to literally tremble. This is her worst nightmare. Nicole's in danger, and it's because of her family. Literally, everyone in this room is a family member or a loved one.  
  


This is more than likely not the first time Nicole has had a firearm pointed at her, but this is the first time Waverly has witnessed it. This is worse because Willa knows the extent of what Nicole means to Waverly…or at least part of it.  
  


Willa has leverage. Huge leverage. And Wynonna doesn’t know it yet…  
  


But Wayhaught knows.

**Ok.  
  
**

Her first ok is to calm Waverly.  
  


Nicole: It’s going to be alright, baby.

**Ok.  
  
**

Her second ok is to ground herself. Nicole's voice trails off. Her mind is racing through all the things she learned at the academy. Trying to figure out how to de-escalate things. She doesn't know what's going on, but she knows a shoot out situation and recognizes that she is now a hostage.  
  


She seems calm, but she’s only outwardly so and so she stays _VERY_ still. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are parted in a kind of 'uh' gesture. She's freaked. Anyone would be with a gun pointed at them, regardless of any sort of protection they may have on them.   
  


But guys, she's been trained. She's a cop. We've seen her have to deal with hostage situations before, and we know she's gone through the academy.  
  


Nicole: Steady...steady…  
  


She's doing her damndest to look calm because that's what you do in this case. Try to calm things down.

**Give me Peacemaker, or I punch a bunch of holes in Waverly's girlfriend.  
  
**

Nicole: Okay, so...terms of negotiation aren't great.   
  


Look how Willa's eyes slide to her sisters when she says, "girlfriend." She can't help it. She wants to see the reaction the news gets. Possibly hoping that Wynonna will get upset at Waverly, but more likely, this is directly meant to hurt Waverly for causing all this trouble. She knows Waverly didn't tell Wynonna for whatever reason, so she's outing her.  
  


Willa is playing dirty.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, Wynonna "I know I'm slow on the uptake" Earp.  
  


**Girlfriend?**

**I said I’d meet Nicole before the Poker Spectacular.**

**What are you and Nicole like best friends now?**

**Dudes dig scars.**

**Do chicks?  
  
**

Yup...Queen of the Dense.

Waverly is terrified. Now she is forced to come out to the other sister in a manner that is _ALSO_ not how she wanted. In her moment of terror…she stumbles her wording.  
  


**Um…kind of.  
  
**

Being a secret keeper keeps biting poor Waverly in the ass. This moment will serve to reassure Nicole that she wasn’t the only person left out of knowledge of things.  
  


Waverly: Uh...surprise? Not really the most pressing issue here…

**Kind of?  
  
**

Nicole actually does a double-take here, and it's hilarious.   
  


Nicole: Chica, we almost had a literal roll in the hay, and you say “kind of?”  
  


It's nice to know that Nicole can be distracted from life and death situations by her relationship dynamics with Waverly.

Waverly can't though. She is now drowning in terror. She looks back at Nicole a little guiltily, a little apologetically, and a little like "okay, again, not the time..." but mostly still just panicked.   
  


Waverly was outed with her girlfriend at gunpoint. It's a lot to deal with, okay?  
  


Waverly: I mean, come on, Nicole. Gun?!

**I know you won’t shoot.  
  
**

Wayhaught, internally, in unison: Yes, she will.  
  


The couple has seen what she can be like. Nicole shifts her weight between her feet. Waverly braces against the check-in desk. They have both seen Willa like this before. She will jump on prey.   
  


Last time, Nicole left the situation to allow Waverly to let her handle family things. This time, it’s different. There is no escape, and she would never have left Waverly alone in this situation anyhow.

**What do I care about some ginger butch cop?  
  
**

Hey! Asshole! That’s _our_ Haught Topic you’re talking about!  
  


Willa’s hand is shaking. She’s losing her patience. Unlike Nicole’s incredible trigger control, Willa’s index finger is firmly planted on the trigger. Wayhaught is right…she would shoot anyone in her way.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : Ok, it’s evident that Willa has never heard the term futch. I would be a butch lesbian. Short hair, flannels, baseball caps, baggy jeans, the works! I’m super masculine. Nicole is a queer woman who possesses or displays qualities and identifiers of both butch and femme. Though, of course, Willa has never heard these terms because…well, Lou’s cult. In case you don’t believe me...Urban Dictionary! [ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Futch ](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Futch) -Jaymie)

**Wynonna. She’ll do it.  
  
**

Waverly tries to impress the seriousness of this on Wynonna. That Willa is not the girl she remembers. That she would indeed shoot Nicole in cold blood. Willa might be reluctant to hurt fellow Earps, but Waverly knows damn well that this Willa won't think twice about hurting a stranger. Especially one that stepped onto 'her turf' as we saw in the Homestead. She was trying so hard to keep Peacemaker away from Willa, but now Nicole’s life is on the line. She's suddenly switched her stance and is all too willing to hand it over.   
  


Just like that.   
  


“Kind of” Nicole's girlfriend. Sure Waves...

**Waverly…  
  
**

The tone is not a comforting one. It's all warning.   
  


Nicole’s voice begs caution. The Officer is trying to tell Waverly not to step in or give in to Willa's demands. Her police training has kicked in, and she wants Waverly to remain calm. Anything could trip Willa's trigger finger. But also, Nicole has an inkling of how vital Peacemaker is. She knows Waverly is worried about her, but she also knows whatever Willa wants that gun for, it's nothing good.   
  


If she has to choose between giving the magic gun away to the dickhead sister or taking one for the team, well...   
  


Nicole: I have a secret defense. It could be okay. Don't give her the gun. Dammit! I wish I were telepathic or something…

Wayhaught telepathy! Come in, my lover!  
  


Yeah...good luck with that...

Their eyes connect as Willa starts to count down from three.

**_No_ , Please!**

Waverly breaks down and begs. The terror in Waverly’s eyes has hit critical. She has no idea how to diffuse this situation. All she knows is that Nicole is in danger of losing her life and Willa won’t hear her pleading. You can bet if she had the gun, it would already be in Willa's hands.  
  


This is where we learn that Waverly will absolutely act recklessly and against all better judgement _IF_ it's to save Nicole Rayleigh Haught. This is why it's really no surprise later when she makes a string of apocalyptic deals to save her lover. Nothing breaks her like Nicole in danger.  
  


Wynonna doesn’t help the situation when she digs her heels in.

**It’s the only thing that will stop Bobo.  
  
**

Hey, look! Nicole and Wynonna already thinking on the same page. Wynonna looks grim.  
  


For Willa, this is a small win. TO her it proves that Wynonna will continue to hurt those around her when she tunnel-visions on a goal.

**Two.  
  
**

Nicole lets out a shuddering breath and psychs herself up for the inevitable pain.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : In general, most police officers go through a law enforcement training program that educates them for their particular region, state or province. Currently, there is no nation-wide standardized law enforcement training course that every potential police officer completes. Some of these training courses involve skills mastery, which requires trainees to learn handcuffing skills, defensive tactics, and the use of non-lethal force. During training, trainees would gain first-hand experience on how to use these tools and how it feels to have them used on themselves. Again, this is in general.  
  


So in Nicole’s case, it's pretty likely she has experienced the non-lethal weapons she carries. She may have been pepper-sprayed, struck with a non-lethal weapon like a baton, handcuffed, and since we know she has one...tasered. Obviously, the one thing that she has likely not experienced is being shot. In some jurisdictions, there exists training where officers may experience ammunition alternatives. The most common are paint rounds. These are a paint capsule in place of where the bullet would be with a standard casing and is fired from a standard handgun. Nicole may have experienced being shot by one of these rounds. Getting hit would hurt like no tomorrow, but it would pale in comparison to the damage of the real thing.)  
  


Nicole can only hope that Willa aims at the largest portion of her target. She knows this is going to happen, and it'll hurt like hell.   
  


Or kill her.  
  


Either way, this is gonna suck.

Waverly continues to beg.  
  


**Wynonna.  
  
**

Wynonna knows it's gonna happen too. She has to let it. It sucks. Both she and Nicole know it's gotta be this way.  
  


**I can’t.  
  
**

She looks at Waverly, hoping her sister will understand.   
  


**Please!  
  
**

Waverly gasps out in a last, desperate attempt because she knows how this should probably go down too…but...

She looks from Willa to Nicole, and she knows she can _NOT_ let this happen. Waverly can’t believe that it’s coming to this, but it has. There's only one thing to say, and she's been afraid of admitting it because it feels like it could have enormous consequences.  
  


Waverly: She’s worth more to me than you will ever know. You win, Willa. I’m sorry, Wynonna.

**I love her…  
  
**

It's barely a whisper.   
  


We can’t imagine Waverly ever said anything like "I love him" about Champ. Not the way she says it here about Nicole. This phrase cuts through all sense of reason and 'what should be done' with Wynonna.  
  


This isn’t just a shallow bid to get a person she casually cares about out of trouble. They both grew up with the curse. They know what's at stake. She would never throw it away for a casual fling. No, Waverly knew the extent of her feelings before now and held off saying it because everyone she has ever said she loves has left her. To Waverly, these three words feel like they could be a death sentence to Nicole. But she also knows they might be the only three words that will convince Wynonna to save the Officer’s life. For Waverly, this is a huge gamble, but she knows she is out of options.

The reality of “girlfriend” _FINALLY_ solidifies.  
  


Wynonna: Oh shit. This is _way_ more serious than Champ. Fuck. So, you’re in that deep, are you, baby girl? Oh boy…

Nicole: D…did I just hear…?  
  


Nicole still has a gun pointed at her. She doesn’t know how Wynonna or Waverly are going to stop Willa from pulling the trigger, and Waverly just dropped a bombshell. It wasn’t directed at her, but it was for her. Nicole doesn’t seem to be quite believing her ears.

**One.  
  
**

If they didn’t believe Willa before, the gun is now cocked. Her expression is murderous. This Haught chick has been nosing into Earp business for too long now. Time to end her once and for all.

Nicole: Fuck.  
  


Nicole looks almost resigned to her fate. Waverly loves her, and she may not get a chance to tell her how she feels in return. She tenses up in preparation for the shot.  
  


Nicole: She loves me...

Waverly’s expression is pure pleading. She shakes her head, about to cry and silently moves her lips. There's nothing else she can do.

**OK.  
  
**

To Waverly, knowing good and well that her little sister has never really chosen for herself. Now that she has, Wynonna will defend it. Wynonna's never seen Waverly like this before. How could she let this happen to Nicole now?   
  


Wynonna: But you know...a little heads up before now would've been nice, dear sister.

**OK!  
  
**

To Willa. She gets what she wants…for now. Wynonna looks like she still can't believe she's doing this, but she'll hand over the damn gun.  
  


Peacemaker is just a gun. Waverly is Waverly, …and by extension, Nicole is also Waverly.

Willa knows better than to drop her guard. She keeps the gun trained on the cop and holds out her hand expectantly, just in case it's a bluff. She didn't get this far trusting her dear family, that's for damn sure.

Now, pay close attention...   
  


Waverly is breathing a sigh of relief. She thinks the danger is over. But she's the only one doing it. Wynonna is still tense, Willa still has her gun pointed at Nicole, and Nicole is still frozen in place. The Officer’s eyes are downcast. She knows better than to think this is over and won't be happy until Willa's left the room.

Despite everything, Waverly still trusts that Willa will keep her word. That once Willa has the gun, it'll be over, and they can regroup. The Nephilim will repeat these mistakes later when Nicole's life is yet again on the line. Waverly always, even in the middle of being betrayed, trusts in a decent, honest streak in people.  
  


What an angel...

Nicole feels like that gun has stayed up _WAY_ too long for this to be over. She plants her feet, and her lips curl a bit. Nicole is still pretty sure she's going to be shot. And there's not a damn thing she can do about it except pray that the ace up her sleeve works.

Nicole gulps a little because she can sense that this isn’t over yet. This is going to happen.  
  


She's scared. Her brain has become her own worst enemy with what-ifs.  
  


( _Record Scratch_ : If Kat was about to be yanked backwards on cables, I wonder how much of this was acting. I mean, not to doubt her acting ability, but I hear that it's not the most comfortable experience. Maybe she dug into some of that for the scene? Then again, it could be a double that gets yanked since two female stunt actors, Leslie McMichael and Holly Raczynski, are credited at the end of the episode. Then again, this could be all Kat acting without any real-life motivation to back her up. She's proven time and time again, she can do such a thing. -Umachica)

Wynonna hates absolutely everything about this. She's having to promise to go after her elder sister. She's heartbroken about being betrayed. About the universe having done this to her and her family.  
  


Unfortunately, those promises of payback only serve to make matters worse.

**Then I better slow you down.  
  
**

Willa looks choked up. She was actually close to Wynonna. She doesn't want them to be at each other's throats any more than Wynonna does. But they've both made their choices, so that's that. As for slowing Wynonna down…  
  


This is the moment when Earpers worldwide felt a chill run down their spins.  
  


Let’s be honest, Willa had zero intentions of leaving the precinct without causing some kind of damage, and here was the excuse. She needs to stall her sisters, and Wynonna just gave her attitude. Willa is also still sore at Waverly. If Waverly had just let her have the gun, she wouldn't be staring down Wynonna in the first place.  
  


All of this is a Willa-no-no.

**BANG!**

Unapologetic, ruthless, cold-blooded murder in those eyes. Willa is firing a lethal weapon (specifically a .38 Special) against an unarmed, most likely unprotected human being. It’s a shot not to injure, but to kill.

The force of the shot sends Nicole flying backwards into the doorframe as Waverly screams.   
  


( _Note_ : This doesn't actually happen in real life, the flying back thing, but it definitely helps sell the moment! And it makes good TV. Thanks Mythbusters! -Umachica)  
  


Before the Officer even hits the floor, Willa is already moving to escape. She knows her sisters will stay to tend to the woman Waverly proclaimed to love. Now that Willa has blatantly betrayed Wynonna, she knows Wynonna will stick with Waverly.  
  


Waverly and all of the audience die a little inside...

**Now you know what it feels like when people take your things.  
  
**

Willa’s tone is _VERY_ bratty, once again sounding like a quarrelling sibling. Your things. She called Nicole a 'thing' and equated her to Peacemaker. If you needed any more proof of Willa's disdain for all things, not herself, Bobo, or Wynonna, this is it.  
  


Waverly is already running towards Nicole and more than likely didn’t hear a word of what Willa just said because;

  1. After a gunshot in an enclosed space, your ears ring, and you’re partially deafened.
  2. Nicole looks like she’s _DEAD_ on the ground.  
  




Wynonna stands there in a moment of shock. It didn't matter in the end. She thought she was trading the gun for Nicole's life, but instead, she's lost both.   
  


Wynonna: Waverly was right. That isn't our Willa. It never was.   
  


The Willa she knew was never going to come back. It's like she has lost her all over again.

Wynonna finally swivels in shock nearly three seconds after Willa has left the room. Waverly is already over a motionless Nicole threading her fingers through fiery red locks of hair.

Wynonna: Holy shit…  
  


Earpers Everywhere: NO!


	4. BYG Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with the aftermath of Nicole being shot and the utter destruction of the Bury Your Gays trope. Final chapter of this sequence!

Chapter Four.   
  
  
REMINDER: Nicole has just been shot! We see Nicole's body hit the floor, Waverly runs to her and theeennn...  
  


This total shock to the system is followed up with this lovely blank screen…  
  


**We'll Be Right Back After These Messages.  
  
**

For 3-5 minutes, Earpers everywhere panicked. Here it was again. The “Bury Your Gays” trope.

Let's take a minute to discuss this.

Though the trope has been present since the 90s, between July 2015 and May 2016, thirty-three lesbian characters were killed off in TV series. It was the bloodiest time to be an on-screen lesbian. The highest-profile of these deaths was Lexa from “The 100”, resulting in the birth of ClexaCon. Dom & Kat would appear at the inaugural convention in March 2017.  


When Episode 113 aired and went to commercial on June 24th (US) and June 27th (Canada), 2016, many feared the ghost of Lexa had come to take Nicole Haught away. And of course, as usual, it was  _ JUST _ when we all started to love the red-head cop. It was  _ JUST _ when we felt like Wayhaught was on to something. It was  _ JUST _ when we all got emotionally invested because Waverly had proclaimed “I love her.”

A complete list of the victims of BYGT are listed here - [ https://lgbtfansdeservebetter.com/bury-tropes-not-us-2016-edition/](https://lgbtfansdeservebetter.com/bury-tropes-not-us-2016-edition/)

Also, this article is an interesting read as Emily Andras herself talks about why showrunners need to “do better by their LGBTQ characters” - [ https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/news/a28685/gay-lesbian-character-deaths-tv/](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/news/a28685/gay-lesbian-character-deaths-tv/)

Now back to your regularly scheduled scene analysis

We come back from commercial to see Waverly turning Nicole over. The cop is groaning. Now we know she didn't just kick it immediately.   
  


Bonus, look at Waverly, being an excellent first aid provider. She supports Nicole's head and neck before turning her!

**Come here.  
  
**

Waverly is trying to comfort the red-head with soothing words. 

There is some fog as to what Nicole says between her gasps of pain, (it sounds to Umachica like "Wa-" as in Waverly) but all subtitles and multiple transcripts read;  
  


**I want…  
  
**

She's trying to let Waverly know she's okay. It's the first thing she's worried about. It also could be that Nicole wants Waverly to hold her. It could be that Nicole wants to apologize for putting the Earps in the situation they now find themselves in. Quite possibly, she wants to tell Waverly she loves her too.  
  


But, we never hear the end of the sentence due to Waverly's fussing.  
  


Nicole:  _ FUCK _ ! Bullets  _ HURT _ !

**I know, I know…  
  
**

Waverly is stammering a response to all the things "I want" could mean. She just wants her lover to save her strength.

While Waverly is focusing on comforting Nicole, Wynonna is still on the alert. The heir picks up on something much more worrying (to her at least).   
  


**No blood…  
  
**

Wynonna thinks she smells a rat. A very blendered rat in a vegan smoothie. It might just be the dead possum in the vents, though.  
  


**There’s no blood!**

**Shh-shh!  
  
**

Waverly continues to comfort her girlfriend in her pain, not entirely sure where Wynonna is about to go with this.

**If my sister joined the dark side and you’ve been a revenant this whole time, I’m just going to call in sick tomorrow.  
  
**

Wynonna is  _ SO DONE _ with this. She looks like she's about to be sick.  So _ DONE _ is she that she accidentally guesses the 'friend that's been a revenant the whole time' plot a whole season early! Spoilers Wynonna!

Waverly: Wait, what? No way, right? Please, no. Please?

**She’s…  
  
** Waverly is on the verge of a total break. She went through the panic/despair of thinking Nicole was dead, to the intense anxiousness of Nicole being alive, but possibly very very hurt, and now she might be a revenant?! It would be too much for her mind to take.

Nicole wouldn't know this yet, but revenants  _ DO _ bleed, just not red. They bleed brown. If there is no blood, not even brown…then that means…it means…  
  


**No, I’m…  
  
**

Wynonna unceremoniously rips open Nicole’s uniform shirt for inspection, the sound of buttons clattering away on the floor. No blood, red or brown, means Officer Haught is…

**...wearing a bulletproof vest.  
  
**

She looks right at Waverly first.   
  


Nicole: See? M'okay :D ... Also,  _ OW _ ! 

Nicole says this while gasping for air, but it’s clear she's allowing herself to enjoy pulling this fast one regardless of how much pain she is feeling in her ribcage. She knows she’ll live to patrol the streets of Purgatory one more day…and remain with Waverly.

The audience all shares Waverly's expression. Holy fuck, the lesbian didn't die! Praise Heda Leksa kon Trikru, a vest! That's genius! HALLELUJAH! THIS SHOW OWNS MY HEART FOREVER!!  
  


Emily Andras and her creative crew of hooligans solve all manner of problems with a stick of dynamite and obliterates the Bury Your Gays Trope.  
  


Yeehaw Nicole!

Both Earp sisters are flabbergasted. Waverly gasps. Wynonna’s mouth falls open. Neither can believe it. Willa shot Nicole with no quarter in mind, thinking the cop had no protection on her person. But here, Waverly’s girlfriend was. Hurt, but alive.

Seriously, look at the expression on Waverly's face. She firmly in that halfway point between laughing, cheering, and crying all at once. She sways on the spot, like she might just faint. Nicole is OK!  
  
Nicole is looking at the projectile in mild interest and disdain.   
  
Nicole: Well...know how that  _ REALLY _ feels now.

**It’s kinda standard operating procedure when we have a 404 on our hands.  
  
**

Kinda standard operating procedure? Ok, so according to the interwebs...no...this is not a 404 not found. A 404 is police lingo for “Unknown Trouble.” If Nicole Haught had to prove that she could deal with all the crazy shit that happens in Purgatory, this is it right here.  
  


She flings the bullet away onto the floor as if to symbolize that she is where BYG ends.  
  


Meanwhile, Emily Andras, all snuggled up in her cozy PJs, is enjoying with Twitter implosion with maniacal laughter.

Nicole flashes a smile as she jokes with the women. She can see they’re both still concerned, so she tries to ease the tension.  


**Bunch of crazy hicks off their rockers?**

**You finally picked a smart one.  
  
**

Awwww, lookit, Waverly! She's so proud of her smart baby! All Waverly can do is beam.

Wynonna, now smiling, gives the pair of them a wink.  
  


Wynonna: About damn time, girl.  
  


This is Wynonna speak for "I give you my blessing" or "I'm totally cool with you being gay, it's no biggie."

Waverly tells Nicole that she'll take her right to the hospital. Naturally, Nicole tries to brush it off, but she's still looking pretty dazed. She tells Waverly that she and Wynonna need to go stop their "kind of a dickhead" sister. Wynonna really doesn't feel up to it and wishes that Doc or Dolls were here. 

( _ Record Scratch _ : Ha! Doc & Dolls. It's D&D!)

**They went to raid Shorty's... somethin 'bout an annidote.  
  
**

Nicole is definitely out of sorts and needs to be checked out by a doctor.  
  


( _ Record Scratch _ : Ok, so there is a bit of thing going on with how Nicole says this line that none of us can really put our finger on. If you listen to Nicole in hospital after the Jack of Knives abduction, she seems to have an accent that sounds a bit...Texan? I personally just cracked it up to a significant morphine high. However, some people think that Nicole has an accent in Season 1, but could definitely be fatigue or drugs. We should ask Kat one day if she imagines Nicole with a slight accent sometimes. I, for one, hear no accent as I live in a country (Canada) where many different accents are a norm...soooo I tend to miss them. -Jaymie)

Waverly smiles proudly again and praises Nicole for being "super smart." Wynonna grins and decides not to tell Waverly that remembering where people took off to has very little to do with intelligence.

Wayhaught crashes together. Thankfulness, joy, pride, love all surging forward. Their eyes close and Waverly pulls them together.

It starts as a "thank God you're alive!" kiss, and probably was meant to be a quick one. But damn Nicole's lips are so good, and Waverly just wants more. Relief once again acting as a powerful aphrodisiac. She almost DIED. Nicole, for her part, thinks this is the best first aid for a GSW (gunshot wound) ever!

**Alright. Yup. You guys do that.**

Gettin' a little too intimate for Wynonna here. That's her sister in a lip lock inches from her face for crying out loud! 

Wynonna feels like she's intruding, so she gets up to gather their things, buying Wayhaught just a tiny bit of tiiime...

Waverly breaks the kiss first this time, and Nicole's hand closes around her wrist.   
  
Nicole: Wait, don't go yet...

Nicole is holding tightly onto the arm that Waverly has threaded behind head. Her look is one of pure awe.  
  


Nicole: Oh, my God. She's an angel, I swear. I am so in love, it's ridiculous.  
  


(Hands down my absolute favorite Nicole expression! -Umachica)  
  


Nicole actually starts to move her lips like she's gonna say something. Perhaps to say "I want-" again. Like she's trying to say, "I want you to know I love you too." 

But Wynonna rudely interrupts them as she will continue to do for all time. Wayhaught has had their moment.   
  


Wynonnus Interuptus, round two people! (The first being while the duo was sneaking into Nedley’s office for a quick kiss.)

But Nicole doesn't seem to care (for now) because she's loved by and in love with Waverly Earp. And it's  _ AMAZING _ .

**Go…  
  
**

With one more parting kiss and build-up of music behind it.

Nicole finds herself in the unfamiliar position of watching Waverly run into danger and having to stay behind. Her eyes are swimming with emotion and worry.  
  


***

As the Earp sisters, exit the building, Waverly proclaims angrily to Wynonna that Willa “shot my girlfriend,” while wiping tears away. Waverly is now free to tell Wynonna everything...and it’s a relief.  
  


Meanwhile, Nicole remains on the floor of the police station. We don’t know how long she stays there. We don’t know who finds her. We don’t know if she goes to the hospital or not.  
  


What we do know is that Waverly proclaimed she was in love with Nicole. For someone who was holding back their own feelings so she wouldn't scare the woman of her dreams off, Nicole would be in some kind of shock and disbelieving.  
  


**I love her...  
  
**

Waverly’s admission would be ringing in her ears louder than the deafening crack of the revolver.  
  


Once, outside of the Earp Homestead on a cold morning, Nicole saw Waverly Earp smiling at her from her front porch. She had felt the tug then, but she held herself back. It would have been unfair to both of them if she allowed herself to fall over the edge.   
  


Even so, Waverly was all she could think about. The morphine drip made it even harder to banish the thought of Waverly at her side, in her arms, on her lips...   
  


She was the woman Nicole thought she’d never have a chance with. The woman that the Stetson wielding cop had so boldly flirted with when they first met. The woman that the thoughtful red-head was patient and kind with during times of loss, suffering and confusion.   
  


Even after Waverly had tackled her to the couch in the precinct. Even after their botched attempt at being alone with each other for the first time, Nicole still held back on verbalizing her feelings. She would never push Waverly. Nicole wanted Waverly to be herself, not someone she wasn’t. Waverly always came first. She would lead unless she asked Nicole to do so. No pushing, just tender care.  
  


We, the audience, know Waverly will not repeat these words of affirmation again for a long time. The fear of losing people she says she loves is overpowering. Still, we know that regardless of that, Waverly continued to be in love with Nicole. It's in the actions she takes for Nicole. It's in the way Waverly touches her lover.  
  


On the cold floor, with a breathtaking pain in her chest, Nicole gives herself permission to tell Waverly, and herself, the truth.   
  


Nicole: I love you too…

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for this one, folks. Whew, what a ride! We had a blast making this and hope you had just as much fun reading it. It's such a high note in their relationship to end the season on. We're gonna keep doing these as long as we have material and requests, so... see ya next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Note: You can pry our Haught crossed puns from our cold dead hands :p


End file.
